


Brett's Crush

by leonheart2012



Series: Playing Doctor [5]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Mild Language, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-23 13:31:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6117949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonheart2012/pseuds/leonheart2012
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam tries to take his life after he almost kills Mason in a blackout rage. Brett comes in just in time, but how did he know, and why is he suddenly feeling everything Liam is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Suicide Attempt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was really annoying me. I needed to fix this, guys. Also, I change A LOT of stuff because it didn't make sense or whatever. I might go back and fix some of my other stuff, but I'm not sure yet :) Enjoy!

"Liam?" I pushed the door to Liam's bedroom open, and saw Liam lying there, bottle of pills open in his outstretched hand. "Oh, God. Liam? Liam? Answer me, please, Liam?"

I remained standing in the doorway, frantically looking for any signs of life. There weren't any, so I took out my phone and read the label on the bottle; they were aspirin.

"Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?" The voice on the other end of the line prevented me from hyperventilating, but not much else. My thoughts were swirling in my head, and I couldn't piece any of them together. All I saw was Liam, lying on the floor, not breathing.

"Uh, I just, he's...Liam's not...I just came here, and he's...I-I don't know how to help him. How do I help him?" The words came out in a rush.

"Sir, I need you to calm down. Nobody can help anyone unless we know what happened. Your friend, Liam. What happened to him?" It was a man's voice on the other end, and I could hear keys clacking in the distance, and other people's voices, coming from the other end of the line.

The question focussed my thoughts enough for me to start piecing some information together. I looked down at the pill bottle in Liam's hand. I spoke as the dots connected - Liam had tried to kill himself. "Liam took aspirin. I don't know how much, or how long ago. I don't know why, either. He's just...he looks dead." My voice broke, surprising me.

"Okay. What is your current location?" The man's disembodied voice remained calm, even as I heard his fingers fly over the keys on his keyboard, probably requesting an ambulance as urgently as possible.

"Ninety-two Rose street. Look, I...I can't see him breathing. He's not moving at all. I...I know that's bad. What if-"

"Sir, I'm sending an ambulance to your location. I'm going to ask you to not touch him. Can you do that, just until we get him to a safe place?"

I nod my head, until I realise that she can't see me. "Yes. I can not touch him. But...what if he's dead already?" I felt tears slip down my face.

"Just wait until the paramedics get there, okay? You won't be able to do anything to help him. Just leave him alone."

I nod again, even though I know the guy can't see me. I start walking towards Liam's body, even though I'd said I wouldn't. I thought about calling Scott, but I knew what he'd want to do. He'd come racing over here to see if his beta was still alive. Then, if he wasn't, he'd howl to the moon, no matter who else was around, and he'd draw all of the attention to himself. No, I'd tell him after the ambulance had left. I pulled Liam over to lie on his back. He looked so peaceful. I wanted to kiss him, like maybe he'd wake up if I just pressed my lips to his. It worked in the fairy tales, why wouldn't it work for me?

So I did; I kissed him on the lips. They were soft and warm, like I'd always imagined they'd be. I pulled back and looked down upon him. He still slept. I sighed and was just getting up when Liam curled onto his side and started vomiting all over the floor and himself.

I touched his shoulder gently, just so he'd know that I was there, and then started to rub his back a bit. "Liam? Liam, are you okay?"

When Liam had finished emptying his stomach, he turned back to face me. "My body's already healing itself. I knew I should have taken them with alcohol." He grimaced and tried to turn back onto his side, but I didn't let him.

He sounded so broken, my heart ached. "No. No, Liam, you shouldn't have. Why would you do that?"

Liam closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Because I want to die, Brett. I snapped again. It was bad this time. I almost killed Mason." He gave a short, bitter laugh, throwing an arm over his face. " _Mason!_ My best friend, Brett. I can't deal with the constant anxiety any more, Brett, I just can't.

"Liam..." I was shocked to hear that Liam had almost killed Mason. That was one thing I thought I'd never hear. I guessed that Liam had never thought he'd say it, either.

"I'm a bad person, Brett." Liam whispered, voice breaking. A few tears that had been trapped between Liam's arm and cheeks broke free and travelled down his face to fall from his earlobes to the floor.

I felt my eyebrows draw together, chest aching. "No, Liam. No, you're not. You're with Scott, trying to help people, to save them. You saved me, and not just once. You're smart and kind and-"

Liam removed his arm and scowled at me. "And I almost killed Mason."

"Mason knew the risks. He knows what IED means. For you and for him." I heard sirens coming up outside the house. "Liam, listen, there's an ambulance coming. Please go with them. I'll call Mason. He'll forgive you, for whatever you've done."

Liam's look went from angry to panicked. He clutched at my shirt. "I don't want him to forgive me, Brett. Please, promise-" He was interrupted by paramedics bursting through the door. They rushed Liam outside, and I followed them, suddenly feeling dizzy. I felt like throwing up several times, but I didn't. "I don't feel so good." I mumbled before passing out.

  


I woke up in a hospital bed. I looked around. Liam wasn't there, but Lori was. I moaned and shifted. A nurse was instantly attracted to my bedside, and Lori sat up.

"Just stay here, Brett. We'll get you up and about as soon as possible, but we have to run a few tests first." The nurse left, and I was confronted by Lori's worried face.

I closed my eyes. My head was spinning. "What happened?"

"They said that you fainted out of shock. Are you okay?" Lori asked me in her usual motherly manner.

"Yeah, I'm doing fine. Where's Liam?" I tried to sit up, but Lori pushed gently on my chest, forcing me back onto the mattress.

I opened my eyes with a sigh, and looked into her worried face. "Drink some water and avoid any sudden movements." She held out a glass of water. "The nurse will be back soon with one of the doctors, okay?"

I relaxed back into the pillows reluctantly, still worried about Liam and wanting to go and find him. "Is Liam okay?"

"Yes. He's doing just fine because of you. Scott and Stiles are visiting him now."

"Thanks." I drank the water, still feeling slightly woozy. Lori smiled at me. I made to sit up, and Lori opened her mouth to protest, but I waved her off. "I'm fine." I stood up slowly, feeling the strength returning to my heavy limbs. Everything hurt. Blinking hurt. Breathing hurt. Swallowing hurt. I sat back down and lay across the small mattress. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  


When I woke again, there was a woman standing over me. "Hello, Brett. Good to see you're awake. Can you tell me how you feel?"

"Dead. Severely dead. Even fatally." I said sarcastically as I looked around for Lori. She wasn't there.

The doctor smiled at my joke, but I could see that she didn't really find it that amusing. "Okay. Can you sit up for me?"

I did, and everything seemed to be fine.

"Very good. How about standing? Can you manage that?" Her voice was soft, but already I was getting annoyed at her gently prodding questions. I stood slowly. Everything seemed to be in working order. "Alright. No pain, no dizziness?" I shook my head. "Okay. Now, Liam's been asking for you. I'll take you to his room if you like. I'm heading there now, just for a check-up."

I felt relief wash over me; Liam was okay. I swallowed thickly and nodded. "Yeah, that would be great. Thanks."

As we walked, I started to feel dizzy again. There was a sharp, throbbing pain in my abdomen. I thought they would go away, but it only got worse. Eventually, it became too much to bear. "Hey, can we just...stop for a minute?"

The doctor stopped, looking concerned. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.

I nodded slowly, my vision swimming. "Just a bit dizzy, that's all." I mumbled.

The woman frowned. "Hmm. Let me know if it gets worse, okay?"

"Okay." I agreed, knowing full well that I wouldn't.

As we got closer to Liam's room, I got worse. I almost lost my balance several times. I trailed my hand along the wall so that I wouldn't fall over - and to assure myself that the floor wasn't buckling under my feet. As soon as I entered Liam's doorway though, all of the dizziness disappeared. I saw Liam's face lift. He smiled at me. "Brett. You're okay."

I put on a half-fake smile. "Yeah." I walked over to his bed and gave him a hug. "How are you doing?"

Liam frowned. "I've been here for two whole days. Mason hasn't come to see me." His expression turned mournful, and I felt bad for him; it was horrible that Mason hadn't come to see him, when he'd almost taken his life because of what he'd done to him. The doctor checked Liam over and gave him the all-clear. Once she'd left, there was a small silence. Liam looked up at me through his lashes. "I don't blame him." Liam said softly.

I pulled up a chair and sat next to him. "Liam, I want you to tell me what you did, if you're okay to. I want to know what happened between you, for you to feel that you needed to die." He grabbed my hand and interlocked out fingers, a pained expression on his face.

"...I just couldn't stop myself. I was standing over him and...and I didn't stop." I felt confused; he wasn't making any sense at all. I squeezed his hand a bit, and he looked at me searchingly, as if I had all the answers.

"Liam, start by telling me what set you off. If you start there, the rest will follow."

"It wasn't worth it." Liam whispered. He was silent for a while before starting again. "We were just talking, walking around. Some of the boys from Devonford were there." Liam closed his eyes. "They were calling us names, everything from..." He stopped, choking over the words.

I frowned and spoke in what I hoped was a soothing manner. "It's okay. You don't have to say any of it."

"Fag." Liam whispered. I closed my eyes. Those homophobic prissy Prep-school boys made my blood boil. I reminded myself to never tell them I was bisexual. "To freak, even murderer."

"Liam..." I started, not really knowing what to say. It was impressive how much his name had become a conversation filler. It was also amazing how I never quite knew what to say to him. He squeezed my hand. Tears were slipping from his eyes.

"I...it all made me so angry. I tried to hold onto it, but it just got bigger and bigger, until I couldn't do it any more. I got blackout angry. I punched two of them before they started running. I tried to follow them, but Mason got in my way. I...I turned on him. I wolfed out; claws, teeth, everything. I-if Scott hadn't been there, I would have killed him." Liam was squeezing my hand so tight, he was crushing my bones. He gasped when an audible crack rang through the room. He looked down at our intertwined fingers and withdrew his hand.

Liam cradled his hand to his chest, as if he was the one hurt. "Sorry, I-"

"Liam," I grabbed his hand again. "I don't blame you for what you did. It was them who were at fault." I made a mental note to kick their asses later.

"But I was crushing your hand." He tried to wrench it away again, but I wouldn't let him. "I told you Brett...I'm a bad person."

"No you're not, Liam. Bad people _want_ to hurt others. Do you want to hurt Mason, or me?" I asked, desperately hoping that those words would make him see sense, and not get him angry. I was betting everything on those words that we exchanged - and it paid off.

Liam looked horrified. "No! No, of course not."

"Exactly." I looked at Liam. He looked so lost. I sighed. "Move over." He looked confused, but he did as he was asked. I climbed onto the bed next to him and put my arm around his shoulders. "You're okay. Mason will forgive you. And if you want, I'll teach you to control your anger."

"I'm probably not a very good student." Liam sighed as he snuggled into my side. I smiled at the sensation, happy that he found me safe enough to be so vulnerable with.

I jostled him a bit. "Hey, first lesson; believe in yourself."

Liam snorted. "As if it actually makes a difference."

"It does. I used to not believe in myself, and I would constantly lose control, especially at Lori. She used to be really annoying." Liam laughed and I frowned at him. "Hey, It's true." I said seriously.

Liam smiled at me. "I believe you, but I just can't imagine it. You're always so calm."

"Because I believe I can be. Belief comes first, results come later."

Liam nodded and yawned. "Can we talk about this later? I'm tired." His eyes flicked up to meet mine, and he blushed. "And, uh... can you stay?" He quickly added a half-assed explanation, and I smiled.  


"Sure thing." I felt quite tired myself, and I would have stayed with Liam anyway, unless he'd asked me to go. Liam turned to face away from me and I curled around him, wrapping my arm around his waist. Liam pushed back a little into me, getting comfortable and allowing himself to relax in my embrace.

"Why were you at my house?" Liam asked me sleepily.

I didn't know how to answer. "I just...I don't know. I felt like I _should_ be there, and then I was, and I found you. I didn't really have time to think about it."

"Oh. Well, thanks." I felt his eyelashes flutter against my arm as he blinked slowly. "For being there, I mean. I'm glad you stopped me from doing something stupid."

"Me too."


	2. Recovery

When I woke up, Liam wasn't there. I was in the same bed, but Liam was nowhere to be found. I scanned the room. Scott was asleep on a chair behind me.  
"Scott." He startled at my voice and scrambled to his feet. I laughed. "Where's Liam?"  
"Uh, he was with you last time I saw him."  
There was a voice at the door. "Liam's getting some tests done. He seems to be doing just fine, thanks to you. I haven't yet gotten the chance to thank you for saving my son's life. He hasn't told me why he did it, but I suspect he snapped again. In any case, I'm glad that you were there to help him."  
I smiled at the man, recognising him as Liam's step-father. "I was glad to help. He told me he did it because he almost killed Mason in a blackout rage."  
His face fell. "No wonder Mason hasn't come to see him. Is he okay?"  
"I don't know. I haven't seen him recently."  
"I have." Scott said. "He's alright, but really shaken. Quite angry too, but he'll get over it. He asked to be alone for a while."  
Just then, Liam came back in. I smiled and swung myself out of bed. "How are you feeling?" I gave him a hug. Scott raised his eyebrows, as if he'd been expecting something else to happen. I wondered what, exactly, he'd expected, but I didn't dwell on it too long.  
"Much better. Still not one hundred per cent, but I'm getting there. How about you?"  
"Yeah, the same. I'll probably not faint again any time soon."  
There was a slightly too long silence then, as if they were all expecting something. Then, Liam's step-father spoke. "You both should stay the night, and then, if you're both still okay, you'll be free to go home. Although I do suggest that you sleep in separate beds tonight. I do understand your need to be near each other, but just for tonight, you should allow your bodies to heal without any extra weight."  
"Okay." Liam said and bid his father goodbye. He looked at Scott as if to say 'you too', but Scott was already exiting.  
"What do you think he meant by that?"  
"Well, often, when two or more people have experienced something traumatic...they'll stick together, in order to make sure they're safe, to give them peace of mind, to work through what happened."  
"That's interesting. How did you know that?" Liam blushed, and it sent a flutter in my chest.  
"My dad told me. He talks a lot about work." I smiled at him and sat down on the edge of the bed. Liam sat next to me and put his head on my shoulder. My heart started to pound, and I could swear that it would beat right out of my chest when he took my hand in his. "I feel safe with you. I love your smell. You smell like Jasmine and Lotus. You're so Buddhist, you even smell like one."  
I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "Liam, if that was your attempt at a compliment, it was both creepy _and_ insulting, so congratulations."  
"It wasn't. I was just saying it, for the sake of words. It's like I have no filter when I'm around you. It feels so good to just...talk to somebody, you know?"  
"Yeah. You know I'm always here if you want to talk, even when our post-traumatic romance is over, right?"  
Liam turned to look at me, smiling. "Post-traumatic romance? Seriously?"  
"Well, what would you like to call it?"  
"I don't know." Liam sighed and turned his face into the crook of my neck. "I want to go home." My heart was definitely going to tear it's way out of my body. His voice was muffled by my skin, and it sent vibrations through my throat.  
"Tomorrow."  
He sighed. "Yeah. Can you keep talking?" Liam asked, pulling his head away from my shoulder and untangled our fingers. He put his head on my lap and laid out on the edge of the bed. I started running my hand through his hair. He moaned and relaxed into me. "I want to hear your voice."  
So I talked. I told him about my parents, the fire, Lori, Satomi, about being a werewolf, about everything. I could tell the moment he went to sleep. I'd just finished telling him about Satomi taking us in.  
I felt Scott's eyes on me the whole time. I slipped out from underneath Liam and tucked him in. I walked out so talk to Scott. He frowned at me. "What are you doing?"  
"What do you mean?" I knew he was asking about Liam, but I had no answers. I was stalling, and he knew it.  
"You know what I mean. Liam. What are you doing? Do you _want_ him to fall in love with you? Because it looks like you do, but you have no intention of acting on it. You'll break his heart, Brett, and I won't allow you to do that. If you're not going to fall in love with him too, I'm going to have to ask you to leave him alone."  
I frowned at him. Of course I liked him, but...Liam was straight, wasn't he? "What?"  
"Liam is falling in love with you. I can see it, and you should be able to, too. And you're provoking it. So what are you doing? Just...don't break his heart."  
"I..."  
"Brett, I've heard the way your heart pounds when you're around him, smelled your anxiety when you wake up and he isn't there. Look, all this is, is a warning. Don't hurt my beta."  
"I won't."


	3. Meditation

Liam came over to meditate with me that afternoon. We started to meditate, but we could both sense that the other wasn't concentrating. Eventually, I just gave up.  
I sighed and stood up. Liam startled. "Brett?"  
I held my hand out, and Liam took it. I was listening for a rise in his heartbeat. There wasn't one. I pulled Liam to his feet. "Sorry, Liam, I've been quite distracted lately."  
An emotion flashed across Liam's face, but it was gone before I could catch it. "Do you...want to talk about it?"  
"No. I really just want to sleep." It was a lie. I wasn't tired at all. "You can sleep over, if you like." There was a definite rise there.  
"No, I should be getting home. I didn't bring a change of clothes anyway."  
"You could wear mine." Another rise. I leaned across him, my arm brushing his chest. He started breathing more heavily as I stretched my neck out before him. I shivered slightly at the breath on my neck. I grabbed some old clothes out of my closet. "These should fit you. Or, maybe you could get devoured by one of my school jerseys."  
Liam swallowed heavily. "Well, I've always wanted to be mauled by a piece of clothing."  
I smiled and got out my sports jersey, leaning over him again. "Here you go."  
"Thanks." Liam squeaked and went to the bathroom. When he came out, he was being, quite literally, swallowed up by my jersey. His arms had disappeared completely and it ended just above his knees.  
I stood up and leaned over to give him a hug. He stepped back. I kept stepping forward, backing him up against the wall. My eyes searched his face before leaning down yet again, but this time, capturing his lips.  
Liam tried to step back again, but was met with the unrelenting wall. When our lips connected, I felt him stiffen. Then, he melted like butter. He brought his hands up to cup my face, and I felt my heart soar. I pulled Liam into my chest, wrapping my arms around him. I carried him to my bed.  
When we got there, he threw his weight over me, so I was on my back. He straddled my hips and smiled down at me. "Did you know how I felt?"  
"Scott told me."  
Liam rolled his head back, smiling. "Of course he did."  
"Don't hold it against him. He's just looking out for you."  
"I know." Liam bent over me and kissed me. He tugged at my shoulders, indicating that I should turn us over. I did.  
Kissing him was intoxicating. I couldn't survive without this, and I was genuinely surprised that I hadn't died before now.  
It felt so good to have his bare skin under my hands, to have his lips attached to my own. This was definitely a sin. It felt too good to not be. The sounds alone were driving me wild.  
He moaned and groaned, and every now and then, he would whisper my name, like it was some hold word, never to fall upon unworthy ears. It made me want to laugh and cry and sing and dance.  
I was content. _We_ were content. Then, Liam pushed further. He wanted more, but I held him back. "Not tonight, Liam. Tomorrow, maybe, but tonight, I want this, just this." I linked our fingers together. He looked disappointed, but he nodded. He wasn't going to push me. I appreciated that, and I told him so. He smiled and snuggled down next to me. He kissed my neck, my chest, my jaw and shoulders.  
"I really, really like you."  
"I like you too, Liam."


	4. Early Mornin' Lovin'

The next morning, I woke up next to Liam, and it was the best feeling in the world. I kissed his nose and forehead until he woke up  
  
"What?" He mumbled sleepily.  
  
"You ready to get sexed?"  
  
"Mm, too early." He tried to turn away, but I rolled on top of him and held his wrists to the bed.  
  
"Hey, sleepyhead. You wanted sex last night, but I'm ready now. Come on." I kept kissing his face, and he pouted for a while before finally laughing and kissing me back. Our kisses deepened, and I started moving down his body. I sucked at his earlobe, making him stretch out his neck. I moved down to it, sucking and nipping at the soft skin before moving down to his chest. He closed his eyes, relaxing back into my pillows. I kept moving downwards, towards his navel. He giggled a bit an pulled me upwards.  
  
"That tickles." He turned us over and kissed my chest. His mouth was warm and wet and _perfect_. He turned me over and kissed patterns down my back, starting at my neck and following the line of my spine to my tailbone. No one had ever done _that_ before. It was cute; I decided I liked it.  
  
He kept kissing for a long time. Eventually, he straddled my hips. He ran his hands over my bare skin. I felt his fingers splay over my shoulder blades, encompassing their entire width and breadth. He lowered himself between his hands and kissed the top of my spine. His tongue flicked out and licked a stripe into my hairline. I moaned at the gesture.  
  
He hopped off of my waist, and I turned over. "How do you know what to do? I've only had sex once before and that was hardly this pleasant."  
  
"Nowhere. I'm just trying things as I go. I want to do something, so I do it. There's no hesitation, no questioning. I have no need for it here." His thumb brushed over my cheek and he leaned down to kiss me. He changed his mind at the last moment and instead kissed my nose. "Close your eyes." I did, and felt his lips brush against my eyelids. Then, his lips closed over my eyebrows. He got up, but I didn't open my eyes; I was relishing the feeling of his lips on my eyelids.  
  
I heard fabric shifting, and I knew he was taking his underwear off. He came back over and tugged my own off. I lifted my hips, eyes still closed. His fingers trailed down my throat.  
  
"Brett?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Are you ready?" I shuddered in anticipation, but kept my eyes closed.  
  
"Yes." He kissed me. His hands brushed over my chest and dragged across my nipples. I gasped and pushed into the touch.  
  
"Brett, look at me." I slowly blinked my eyes open. It felt like they'd been glued shut. "There you are." He cooed as he smiled down at me. "Tell me if it hurts."  
  
I nodded and felt a warm, wet finger pushing at my entrance. It slipped in, and I moaned, hands gripping at his shoulders. He smiled and stopped his movements. "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah. Keep going." I did't want this to end. Not at all.  
  
He did. I completely lost myself in the sensation of Liam moving inside of me. And then, suddenly, there was a burst of pleasure that sent stars swirling across my vision.  
  
"Uh, oh, Liam, Liam, do that again. Please, that was-" I was cut off when he twisted his fingers just so again. I gasped and moaned. "I'm ready. Liam, I'm ready. I am _so_ ready for-" I moaned again as Liam pulled his fingers out. My chest was heaving, as was his. He quickly lubricated his unprotected member. I braced myself for what I knew was to come.  
  
"Are you sure?" I nodded furiously, not trusting my voice. "Okay." He pushed in and my vision went white. This was nothing like my first time.  
  
I'd been in a club, and a girl from school cornered me there. I'd known she fancied me. I'd gone to the club to get away from her, seeing as clubs weren't really her thing. I started dancing with some other people, and she'd come over and dragged me to the ladies', where she'd practically raped me. It hadn't been entirely unpleasant, but this...this was so much better. And I was doing it with someone I actually liked. I wished, not for the first time, that my first time hadn't been then. In fact, I often wished that time had never happened at all.  
  
My expression must have changed, because Liam all but stopped his movements.  
  
"Brett? Is it not good? Do you want me to stop? Are you okay?"  
  
I mentally shook myself. "You're amazing. I was just...thinking about my first time."  
  
"Tell me."  
  
I winced. "I'd rather not." Liam just stared at me until I softly sighed. "Fine. There was a girl from school who had a major crush on me. She...somehow, she knew I was going to this particular club, and she was there. Clubs weren't really her scene. She really valued her personal space. She was cute, had good grades, a lot of friends; there wasn't really any reason for me to _not_ like her, I just didn't. She hadn't gotten the message, though."  
  
"She saw me dancing with some other people, both boys and girls, and she just dragged me into the ladies'. She pushed me into one of the stalls, got me out of my trousers. She was like a wild animal. I was...quite frankly, terrified. She didn't wait, for anything. I tried to get her to slow down, to stop, but she just kept coming."  
  
"That experience, it almost completely turned me off girls. Afterwards, she followed me around, like us having sex would have changed something. If anything, I thought less of her. There was no way I was going to ask her out after that show."  
  
"Well, of course not. She'd violated you. Did you tell someone?" He was still buried deep inside of me, but he'd stopped moving completely and was resting on my chest, looking up into my eyes.  
  
"No. I didn't want to ruin her reputation. Besides, I don't think anyone would have believed me. She was a nice girl. No one would have expected something like that from her. And we were both young. She was in the grade below me. It might have ruined me as much as it did her. So, no, I kept it to myself."  
  
"Brett..." I looked down into Liam's eyes and saw the words he was going to speak. I hated those words. I got angry, without really meaning to.  
  
"Don't tell me that she raped me. I _know_ she did. It doesn't change anything. It happened. Get over it. I did, immediately after she'd done it. I went back and danced with some hot guys. Even kissed a few."  
  
"Brett." I stopped talking and glared at him. I knew it wasn't fair, treating him like that, especially with him literally inside of me, but I couldn't help it. He rubbed his hand up and down my arm. "Brett, it's good to talk about these things. You _were_ raped, and you haven't fully dealt with that yet. So, I'm going to pull out, and we're not going to continue until I think you've dealt with this." He did just what he said he would, and I whined at the loss. "Brett, talk to me. How did you feel, after she'd raped you?"  
  
"Used, disgusting, shocked, but most of all, just tired. I'd thought that, maybe, now that she'd gotten what she wanted, she'd leave me alone."  
  
I took a deep breath. "She didn't. In fact, she tried to do it again. She'd pushed me into the janitor's closet, locking the door. Again, she just...advanced. I tried to talk to her, to get her to go away, but words just didn't work. So instead, I pushed her back. Not enough to hurt her, just enough to shock her. It did the trick. She just stood there while I tried to slip around her. I _almost_ got away."  
  
I shuddered at the memory. Small as she was, she could really make an intimidating figure. Even just imagining her was enough. "She grabbed my arm just as I was leaving. I had no idea what she was going to do. If she screamed, she would bring everything crashing down around me. I panicked. I pushed my hand over her mouth. 'Listen,' I'd said, 'I'm not interested in you, at all. Please, please, leave me alone'."  
  
"What did she do?"  
  
"She punched me. In the face. I knew I'd really scared her, then, and when she ran, I was really worried that she'd come back with someone else. It was the most terrifying next few months of my life. I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting to see her, or someone else. I know I didn't handle the situation very well, but that was the best I had at that time. Eventually, I just stopped looking."  
  
"Brett, are you okay?"  
  
I swallowed deeply, but nodded. He smiled and kissed me. "Okay." He pulled at me so that I was on top of him. We kept kissing. I realised that I didn't need to have sex with Liam; this was enough. This would always be enough.  
  
"Liam, I don't want to have sex. Not yet."  
  
Liam smiled at me again. This was very different from the needy touches and whines of last night. He was ready to wait for me. The realisation sent tingles down my arms and legs. I held him close to my chest and kissed him passionately. If he was going to wait for me, so was I.


	5. Pain Shared Is Easier To Bear (Or Is It?)

When I woke up, Liam wasn't there. I searched for any note he might have left, but there was none. I heard Scott's voice behind me.  
  
"You won't find anything. We've taken him. I've set up a little experiment. In exactly..." Scott looked at his phone. "One minute and twenty-six seconds, Stiles is going to stab Liam's leg. Every five minutes afterwards, he's going to stab something else. He won't pull the knives out. Your job is to find him. I'll be with you the whole way. If Liam is in danger of being seriously injured, I'll call Stiles and tell him to stop. The first point of this exercise is to see if you can feel Liam's pain, even when apart. The second point is to see if you can find Liam faster than I could. It took me twenty-seven minutes from here. No howling. You time starts in three, two..."  
  
"Ah!" I gripped my leg in pain, as I felt something sharp plunge deep into my thigh. I stared limping down the stairs. I had no way of knowing where to go, and the pain in my leg made it hard for me to think. Instead, I decided to let my senses take over. I smelled Liam everywhere, so that was ruled out. I couldn't hear or see him either. I started to panic when I felt a pull at my chest. I didn't have anything else to go on, so I followed it South, past the sheriff's station.  
  
I kept following the pull until I felt another stab of pain, this time in my shoulder. This time, I was close enough to hear Liam cry out in pain. All other senses were drowned out as I followed his whimpering. I ripped the door open to a hunting hut in the woods. I saw Liam there, tied up. All I wanted to do was run to him and gather him in my arms. I held back, though. I felt the danger before it came.  
  
Stiles rushed out of the shadows and tried to hurt me, but I dodged his attacks and threw him to the ground, temporarily stunning him. I was cautious for the rest of my advance, but no further attacks came. I untied Liam and pulled the knives out. I pulled him into my arms as he cried in pain and confusion. "Why would Stiles do that? I saw Scott earlier too, but he didn't tell me why..." He sobbed into my shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, but you needed to smell and feel scared and confused for the experiment to work. I'll let Deaton explain."  
  
"Well, the point of this was to find out if you two were mates. As it turns out, you are. We can tell this by the fact that Brett felt the pain of Liam being stabbed, and the fact that Brett, you found Liam in six minutes and eighteen seconds. That's a lot less time than Scott took. Because you are mates, Brett would, as a result of your distress, feel a pull towards you, making it easier for him to find you, thereby making the time required to find you less."  
  
"I still don't feel very comforted by that."  
  
"Well, this means that, in any situation of danger, Brett will be able to feel you. It also means that, if you spend too much time apart, you will both become weaker. Once a month, you'll become very protective of one another and you'll feel like you need to...be intimate with each other. You'll also need to be a bit more careful. If one of you dies, I've hear that the other feels the pain of the loss more than any other. I think it means that the other dies too. Whether that's of heartbreak or not, I'm not sure, but let's not find out, shall we?"  
  
"Sounds like a great idea. I'll talk to Satomi about moving schools." I felt really great about the mates thing, and being close to Liam all day every day was setting a flame deep in my belly. I wanted this. I wanted _him_.  
  
I took Liam home after everything. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, you?"  
  
"Yeah." I was silent for a moment before speaking again. "You forgive Scott, right?"  
  
"Yeah. So, uh, how do you feel about being mates?"  
  
"Fantastic. You?"  
  
"Excellent. So good, I really want to make this day better. Would you be up for sex now?"  
  
"Most definitely." I smiled and kissed him. I felt like this time, we'd actually get to the end. It turns out I was right. We started slow, just kissing and touching. Then, we explored even further, hands roaming everywhere. Finally, he allowed me to go deep inside of him and claim him as mine. It was the best feeling in the world. I knew, then, that no matter what happened, I would love him unconditionally, forever.


	6. Mates

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.” Liam groaned and rolled over. “Come on. Time for school.”

“No.” Liam moaned, rolling over again. I laughed and shook his shoulder. Liam swatted my hand away and rolled over yet again, falling out of bed. I couldn’t help but laugh. Liam glared at me. “Fine. I’ll be up in five minutes.”

I shook my head. “Nope. You’re getting up now. Come on, Liam. You’ll be late for school.”

“I don’t care.”

“You’ll miss breakfast.” Predictably, that had him up and moving. I snorted.

Liam blushed sweetly. “I’m a growing teenager. I’m allowed to like food.”

“Yeah, but to respond to it like that…” He threw a shirt at me, growling at me to shut up. “Definitely not a morning person, then…”

“Is anyone?”

“I am. I’ve been up for two hours already. I already went for my morning run and had a shower and had breakfast. I was just getting my calculus homework done when your alarm went off.” I was lying about the homework. I’d been watching him sleep, but that was unbelievably creepy, so I decided to keep that to myself.

“Show off.”

“What?” I asked innocently. “You can get a lot done in two hours.”

“Still…” Liam grumbled as he hopped into the shower. I started to get dressed in my school uniform. It was rather frustrating, having to deal with the cuffs, but at least I looked good in it. Then, I stifled a laugh. Of course I look good in it. I look good in everything. I burst out laughing as I imagined myself in a dress.

“What?” Liam asked from his bathroom.

“Just wondering what I’d look like in a dress. I might even wear one for you some day.”

“Looking forward to it.” He called back to me. I wasn’t really listening. I was thinking back on what Deaton had said. You two are going to want to mate as soon as possible, and then Brett, you should shift schools. Scott may be able to convince Liam’s parents to let you stay over more often, but the more nights you spend apart, especially near a full moon, you’re going to start pining more and more. There are benefits to you staying near each other, but you’re going to have to be more careful from now on. You need to protect each other.

While that sounded great, the longest I had spent in the presence of another person was my sister, and I barely restrained from ripping her throat out sometimes, she was so annoying. I had no idea how I was going to cope with being around Liam for the same amount of, if not more, time.

Liam came out of his bathroom wrapped in a towel. I smiled at him. “Hey, looking good, short stuff.” He shot me a glare.

“I’m not that short, asshole.” I smiled and laughed.

“Alright. Well, I should get going.” I kissed the top of his head. “Stay safe and try not to kill yourself okay?” He opened his mouth to retort, but he closed it when he saw my face. I was being serious.

“I won’t. Kill myself, I mean. It was just a moment of weakness, Brett. I’m okay now.” His eyes found mine, and I could tell that he was being sincere. “I promise.” He kissed me, standing on his tip-toes. “Bye. Have a good day.”

“You too.”

 

The rest of the day passes slowly, until I get back to Satomi. I sit in front of her in the lotus position. “Deaton says I feel this way because he’s my mate, and that we should be together more often. That’s why I’m asking to move schools.”

Satomi frowns for a little while before answering, mulling over everything that I had said. “Hmm. I think you might be rushing into this. Sometimes, a wolf will find someone who is close to being their mate, but is actually not.”

“How long does it take to be sure?” I had no doubts; I knew how I felt about Liam.

“A few weeks. I’m also concerned that you found out about this by him almost killing himself. The trauma may be affecting your senses. I think, what you should do, is stay by his side as much as you can for the next month, and when the full moon comes, shift with him in the woods. If your wolves repel each other then, you will know that he is not your mate.”

“What will happen if he is?”

“You will be drawn together, and you will have sex. In the final moments, you will bite each other, marking him as yours, and you as his. Then, I will be convinced that he is your mate.”

I bowed my head in a sign of respect, hands pressed together over my heart. She nodded her head. I stood and left, going to Liam’s house.

 

The next month passed by like a dream. The time I spent away from Liam were the worst moments of my life, and when I was reunited with him, I felt my heart soar in my chest. I told Liam about the ritual on the full moon, and he agreed to do it with me. He was as convinced as I was that we were mates. It gave me renewed confidence that he felt the same as I did.

 

Under the light of the next full moon, I could feel the pull. I wanted to shift, and so I did, allowing my fangs and claws to grow. I could see Liam doing the same. We stepped into the clearing. Satomi was nearby, watching the exchange.

Liam and I circled each other, and I felt myself smile inside. He looked perfect. We approached, slowly. He lowered his head and, on instinct, tilted his head back and howled. I did the same. As our howl finished, Liam tilted his head to the side. I let him feel whatever it was that he was feeling.

He took my hand, now human, and led me to my car. I drove us home, to my house. Liam, gently, pulled me inside. We got to my bedroom and he stripped off slowly. This was so unlike Liam, but I understood that it was his wolf leading him. Liam would have been aggressive, but his wolf was submitting.

Liam sank back onto my mattress, and I climbed over him. I kissed him, and he moaned, leaning up into me. I pressed him down into the mattress, getting my lubricant from its place in my drawer. I opened it, and Liam whined at the smell.

Brett squeezed some out on his fingers and smoothed them over Liam’s opening, dipping his fingers in gently. Liam threw his head back and moaned again, pressing into his touch. Brett smiled and started fingering him deeply, at first with only one finger, but adding more until he had his entire hand inside of him.

Liam was panting and moaning, squirming underneath him. Brett finally pulled his hand out and kissed Liam as he pushed his penis deep inside of him. Liam inhaled sharply, and Brett stopped.

“No. No, doesn’t hurt…just move, please…”

Brett nodded and started doing just that. “Faster. As hard as you can, Brett.”

Soon, Liam was writing with pleasure. He was so close, and so was Brett. At the last moment, just before he came, he sank his teeth into Liam’s neck. Liam howled with pleasure and did the same.

“So,” Brett panted, “I guess this means we’re mates.”

Liam gave a short, breathless laugh. “Did you really have any doubt?”

“No.”


End file.
